The Daylight
by therainydaykids
Summary: "And that's the thing about daylight, it's the only thing constant in this town." Over a single year four residents of Mineral Town find themselves fighting against the current of change and surfing the unpredictable waves of loss, distance and heartbreak. T for mild sexual themes and situations.
1. Chapter 1

_The Daylight_

**Summary: "**And that was the thing about daylight, it was the only constant in Mineral Town." Over a single year four people find themselves fighting against the current of change and surfing the unpredictable waves of loss, distance and heart break.

T for sexual suggestions and situations, possible swearing and themes.

Warning: Kai has a terrible sense of humour.

**A/N: **So this story is broken up into four acts (one for each season) and each season is told individually by Kai, Gray, Karen and Claire. It's been awhile since I've tried (emphasis on tried, here) to write a long fanfic so I hope I haven't completely forgotten how to write.

* * *

_Act 1: Summer._

The horizon sprawled out almost endlessly before Kai, a kaleidoscope of blue sky and teal ocean with a _hint _of the suns golden rays. Slowly, at an almost taunting pace, Mineral Town came into view, smudging the sky-meets-sea landscape with its unmistakable silhouette.

"Land ahoy." Kai breathed softly, his words getting lost in the wind as the boat sped onwards. There wasn't anyone around to hear him but Kai's mouth twitched upwards anyway.

He watched the pier come into focus, distinguishing itself from the blurred lines of the mountains and buildings and his face broke into a wide grin as he finally let his excitement bubble to the surface of his resolve. The moment – salty scents, warm rays of sun, breathtaking views - would have been perfect had the letter currently shoved in his pocket not been there, masquerading as an anchor and weighing down his good mood. Yes, the letter from Popuri explaining in flowery, sugar coated detail why she no longer wanted to be with him was quite the damper on Kai's otherwise sunny disposition.

At first, if Kai was honest with himself, he had thought the letter was a prank from Rick. He didn't put it past the chicken farmer to resort to such crude methods to try and break him and Popuri up. But if Kai was honest with himself again he couldn't exactly _blame _Rick for wanting him out of his sister's life so badly. Yet after the seventh time reading the letter (he could almost recite it word for word now) the writing was undeniably Popuri's, down to the too-curly signature at the bottom, to the way all the I's and J's were dotted with little love hearts and the final sentence: _I want someone who will share the world with me, not someone who I have to share the world with. _

This meant he wasn't surprised at all when there was no hurricane of pink hair and squeals to greet him as he walked off the pier. In fact, the beach was empty – eerily so - and Kai felt a sharp pang of hurt inside of him. He knew he wasn't in the running for the most popular guy in Mineral Town by any stretch but Kai had thought that _someone _would have taken the time out of their day to welcome him.

After all, Mineral Town was the closest thing Kai had to a home.

* * *

The walk to the Inn was unsettling for Kai. Without Popuri by his side, clinging to his arm and crooning into his ear about how she'd missed him _so _much, he could actually hear the rustling of the trees, the buzzing of cicadas and the seductive whispering of the breeze for what felt like the first time.

It was with that thought that Kai turned the brass handle of the Inn's doors, pulled the aging door open and stepped inside. Instantly Kai was greeted by its owners.

"Welcome, it's good to see you arrived here safely as usual." Doug remarked, emerging from the kitchen and smiling at the traveller.

"Kai! We've been waiting for you," Ann gushed, the excitement lacing her tone serving as a verbal hug, "I spent all yesterday preparing your room so please don't mess it up like you usually do within the first hour."

Kai couldn't help but notice how much more mature Ann looked in comparison to last year. Her azure eyes had hardened slightly, no longer shining with as much childish innocence and she had finally grown into her work attire, filling it out quite nicely. Kai wondered, for an instant, what else had changed around this small town in his three season absence.

"Because you look so cute in those overalls I'll wait two hours before destroying your hard work, how does that sound?" Doug, who had been washing a glass behind the oak counter, froze mid scrub and gave Kai a look of mixed shock and disapproval. Noting this Kai quickly added, "Just joking Doug! I'd never let your daughter mix business with pleasure, no matter how much she may want to."

Doug, visibly relieved, went back to tending the bar and a blushing Ann stammered denials something along the lines of 'never' 'fraternize' and 'travelling filth like you'.

Kai chuckled to himself and excused himself to go unpack but not before shooting the flustered barmaid one last wink and a _see you at Beach Day tomorrow._

* * *

Kai sighed dramatically, getting impatient for the blacksmith apprentice, his closest friend in Mineral Town (and arguably, if he wanted to get sappy, the world) to trudge upstairs. Having unpacked what felt like years – no, _decades _- ago Kai had decided Gray's bed was a great place to wait for him and as he sunk into the crisp sheets he reflected on how well he and Gray had _clicked _two years ago. Seemingly polar opposites, Kai had discovered that Gray's blunt, sarcastic and sometimes moody nature was actually tailored to fit his own extroverted personality. As far as friendships go, Kai had decided long ago that it was one of the best.

Not that he'd ever dream of telling Gray that in a million years.

Kai reaffirmed this thought when the man in question _finally _appeared, all loud, angry stomps, before freezing in the doorway when he noticed the figure lying in his room, "For a traveller you have appalling sense of direction. This is my room."

Kai laughed. "Yo Gray, nice to see you, you didn't ask but let's pretend you did; I'm great."

"Hey Kai."

"See that's how normal, socially adept people greet each other after not seeing each other for nine months." Kai patronized, sitting up slightly so his back was propped up against the pillows.

Gray shrugged his soot covered jacket off. "Normal, socially adept people don't lay in their friend's beds."

Kai plastered a look of mock horror on his face, "Are you serious?" The tanned boy leapt out of his friend's bed with a smirk and added, "I guess I have a lot of people to apologize to then."

Gray rolled his eyes in attempt to appear unimpressed but the small smile curving his lips indicated the opposite, "Ann will kill you if you don't make that." The blacksmith nodded at the bed, giving the crumpled sheets and askew blankets a dark, gloomy look before tossing his jacket onto the pile.

"Who said anything about me making it, it's _your_ bed." Kai retorted, "Now, the Snack Shack doesn't officially open until tonight but I think I could make an exception for you and your baked corn obsession."

"Now_ that's_ something we can both agree on."

* * *

The inevitable question fell from Gray's lips while Kai was making the butter for the baked corn, "What happened with Popuri?"

Kai sighed, placing the whisk down on the bench. For a few seconds the only sound in the room was the gentle thrumming of the air conditioner as Kai contemplated his words, "We were just too different, you know?" Kai looked up to meet Gray's thoughtful expression, biting on the corner of his inner-cheek and furrowing his brows before continuing, "We had too many issues we couldn't settle." The words from her letter surfaced in his mind but he chose not to bring them up. It was too personal, even for Gray's ears; the carefully thought out words and bitter sweet sentences in that far-too-girly script had been for him and him only. Instead, he cracked a smile and joked, "I mean we could never compromise either. She would never admit pineapples weren't as good as chickens and when I, the fantastic boyfriend I was, offered the solution that she call her next chicken 'Pineapple' she wouldn't hear it."

"And I suppose," Gray tipped his hat upward so his blue eyes bored levelly into Kai's, "That the whole you being away three seasons out of the year had nothing to do with it."

Noting the serious route Gray was driving the conversation in Kai sunk his head into his hands while he admitted with a tremor of sadness, "I should have taken her with me. I _would _have, except Lillia…" Kai paused before wistfully adding, almost as an afterthought, "I believed it would be best I never asked her to choose."

Neither boy disputed the unsaid words that hung in the air, ghosting around the corners of their minds as a cruel reminder of the fragility of life, _"Because she would have chosen me."_

With one hand Gray took his hat off and with the other he ran his calloused fingers through his strawberry blonde hair, noticeably frustrated by his friend's actions, "You should have stayed." Blunt and sharp and entirely _Gray _the words from his friend's mouth summed up the regret that had settled itself in Kai's stomach since receiving the letter. Shaking his head, Gray muttered, "Idiot."

Kai, all teasing tones and smiles, changed the subject, "Careful Gray, is that the sound of you having missed me?" He began mixing the butter again and the _tip tap_ of the whisk colliding with the bowl echoed around the cool room.

"Quite frankly, how you can hear anything over the sound of your ego is astounds me."

"Pardon?"

Both men laughed at the exchange, settling into the familiar rhythm of friendly banter reserved specially for the white washed walls of the Snack Shack.

Several hours later, as the setting sun's rays flitted around the room in dappled, fiery orange patterns, Kai rummaged through his fridge before pulling out a bottle of wine. He ran his hands over it lovingly, as if it was a new born child, fingers grazing the well worn label before unscrewing the top.

"As much as I _love _theorizing the idea that Duke and Jeff were once involved in a scandalous homosexual love affair," Kai paused for effect, "I believe tradition calls in the form of Italians finest."

Two summers ago, when Kai had first met Gray at the Inn they had ended up going through an entire bottle of wine together. Strangers back then, they had relished in each other's company none the less; trading stories, exchanging wit, making crude jokes. Kai could still remember them toasting – albeit in slurs - their final glass to the birth of their friendship. History repeated itself the year after, except they drank a bottle of wine Kai had, in an unusual display of sentimentality, bought for Gray from an Australian winery.

"Europe, eh?" Gray's face perked in interest as he eyed the bottle Kai had placed in front of him.

"Yeah, this bad boy is courtesy of Rome, only the best for my favourite blacksmithing amigo."

"_Only_ blacksmith friend you mean." Gray corrected, stating the obvious.

"When did you become so wise and all knowing?" Kai held up a single, tan finger to silence his friends reply, "_Wait, _don't tell me, it was the same time you discovered the earth was round?"

"Close but it was when Saibara told me last winter that Santa wasn't real."

"Ah well, we all have to grow up sometime."

Gray shrugged and they slid into a comfortable silence, marred only by the sound of seagulls rejoicing and waves rolling into shore. Dusk had bathed the room in shades of pale yellow and their wine glasses glistened in the light every time one of them took a sip. Eventually, after both of them had downed three quarters of the fruity liquid, Kai spoke up, "So what's the story with this farmer-girl you mentioned in your last letter?"

Strangers in Mineral Town were like comets. They appeared out of nowhere, beautiful in their unexpectedness and vibrant in their stark contrast to the regular townsfolk. Yet like comets, they disappeared quickly, rarely staying more than a few glorious moments. Hence, Kai was exceptionally curious about the newcomer who had broken this mould.

"_Claire,_" Gray began, emphasising her name, "Moved here a couple of months ago to take over the old ranch after quitting her job in the City."

Kai blinked, once, then twice and then a third time. "That's it? No juicy information about her being on the run from a bank robbery gone wrong or escaping an arranged marriage to a foreign prince."

"It was a drug deal." Gray deadpanned, humouring Kai's overactive imagination.

"Makes sense," Kai took a sip of wine, swallowed and licked the tangy aftertaste off his lips before adding, "There was a lot of _weed_on the farm."

Gray sighed at his friend's goofy expression. "Thank the goddess your comedy is not like your cooking."

With a creak the Snack Shack door opened and Karen walked – no, Kai thought, _sashayed_- through the door, "Hi Kai, thanks for coming to say hello to me at the Supermarket," She chimed with a note of sarcasm while walking towards him, "It's only been three seasons but whatever."

"And those three seasons have treated you well, you look glorious."

Karen tossed her head back, flicking her bangs away from her forehead. As she did so, dusks light caught on the moving strands, causing her hair to shimmer shades of honey brown. "Don't try and flatter your way out of this."

"So this is purely a social visit then Karen?" Kai asked with thinly veiled disbelief, "You just came to see me with no ulterior motive other than to say hello…"Trailing off, he raised his eye brows at Karen and she nodded.

"So you wouldn't mind then if I shut the pizza oven down for the night then?" Kai questioned dubiously, knowing full well how partial she was to the particular dish.

Karen took a seat next to Gray on one of the stools across from the counter. "Now you mention it, three pizzas to go thank you."

"Three? I know you've missed my cooking but I _am _here all season. I'd hate to see you be out of shape for tomorrow." Karen's face darkened. Kai, observing this and the way her emerald eyes flashed with pity, was hit by the sudden realization that given her intimate relationship with Rick she was most likely ordering for him and Popuri too. "Sure, three pizzas are coming up." Kai faltered momentarily, "And tell Popuri she doesn't have to be a stranger, okay?"

Karen nodded. "I will Kai."

After momentarily drowning in the uncomfortable currents of the conversation, Karen's hands waded towards the bottle in front of her, slender fingers unscrewing the cap with an expert touch. The cap fell onto the bench with a chink.

"Sure Karen, you can have some of that." Gray said sharply, evidently taken aback by how contented she was to just help herself.

Ignoring the bite to his words, Karen poured herself a glass. "Don't mind if I do."

"So Karen, tell me about Claire. So I far I know from Gray that she's a farmer." Kai asked while smearing tomato paste on the three bases in front of him.

Tilting her head to the side she replied simply, "Claire is _Claire._"

"You guys are killing me!" Kai moaned dramatically, glaring at the pair of them sitting in front of him. Karen shrugged, a coy smile dancing in the corners of mouth as she bought her glass to her mouth, signalling to Kai that she wasn't going to offer up any more information.

During the time Kai was bent over behind the counter, placing the pizzas carefully in the oven, Gray turned to the woman on his right and spoke casually, "Karen,"

"Yes Gray?

"Don't ever become a writer."

Chortling, Kai popped back up swiftly and leant over the counter to high five Gray, leaving behind a puff of billowy, white cloud as his floury hands collided with the blacksmiths. During their exchange, Karen's eyes had transformed from sparkling green to cat-like slits as she glared frostily at the boys laughing at her expense. Before she could utter a reply, Kai – or rather the buzzer on the pizza cooker - announced her order was done.

Kai, seeing her reach into her pocket to pay, made a noise of protest, "Don't worry about it. It's on the house or should I say _shack_."

Ignoring his attempt at humour, Karen asked hesitantly, "Are you sure?"

Kai waved away her reluctance. "One hundred percent just make sure you come back and visit."

"Thanks Kai. I'll see you tomorrow for the festival."

Kai watched her grapple with the door, trying to balance the pizza and the doorknob, waiting until she had pushed her way out before speaking the thought on his mind, "How Rick is dating her, I have no clue."

Gray nodded, blue eyes glued to the empty, lipstick smudged wine glass she'd left behind. "I'd toast to that."

* * *

Kai awoke to the first rays of morning light peeking through the windows of the Snack Shack, the walls and floor being drenched in dim gray shadows and the sound of snoring beside him.

"Good morning, beautiful."

"Water." Gray groaned, tugging his hat over his eyes to shield his face from the sun.

"Yes sir." Kai replied with a salute.

He stretched, got up, and straightened the creases out of his crumpled clothes all the while trying to ignore the nagging pain in his lower back as he twisted his body out of its awkward sleeping position.

Kai wondered while he walked towards the kitchen, mouth like sandpaper and lips as dry as the Sahara desert, what he regretted more: drinking so much wine or sleeping on such an uncomfortable angle. With a delicate chink Kai grabbed two glasses and made a beeline for the sink. The tap was cool when Kai flicked it upwards and the loud rumbling of plumbing that followed caused Gray to clamp his hands over his ears and moan softly in pain.

"Let it be known that I am never touching that god forsaken stuff again." Gray's voice was muffled against the sound of the water splashing into the cups and when Kai placed his drink beside him Gray grabbed it with the desperation of a man who hadn't drank in days.

Returning to the kitchen, Kai began to slice, mix and chop. His whole body seemed to relax into the fluid movements of cooking, his shoulders unwinding and his back relaxing. It just felt so natural for Kai to cook here in Mineral Town, on his restaurants marble benches, with the distant sounds of the sea embracing the shore; wave after wave after wave.

Gray's words from last night echoed in his ear on broken stilts, stopping and starting unevenly like a scratched a record, _"You should have stayed."_

In the time Kai spent in the kitchen, under the blossoming sun of day break, he couldn't have agreed with them more.

An hour or so later, Kai awoke his sleeping friend for the second time that morning, "Gray, wake up. I made you some breakfast. It's called 'Bakon Corn'. It's spelt with a K, not a C, because it's _Baked Corn_ except with bacon!"

Gray sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes with weariness. "Kai, it is way too early for your terrible humour."

Kai shot him a sly look, "So when I sign this plate for you because it's the best thing you've ever eaten is that Gray with or without the 'R'"

"Gray…Gay. How many years have you been waiting to make that joke?"

"Since I first met you," Kai admitted with a laugh before switching on the kettle and changing the subject, "Coffee?"

Gray stared at him. "Are you wearing a purple bandanna?"

"Want me to make one for Saibara?"

"I don't care, but if you do add rats poisoning."

"Gray, if you're going to go and poison a man, at least add cyanide as well."

And that was the thing about Kai, when it came to the touchy subject of Gray's strained relationship with his Grandfather; he always knew exactly the right thing to say.

* * *

Kai approached the Poultry Farm, clutching a Styrofoam coffee in one hand and another tucked beneath his underarm; a peace offering Kai hoped would dispel any tension that may exist between him and Popuri. He hummed an old sailor's tune under his breath in an effort to drive away the butterflies loitering stubbornly in his stomach. It didn't work. The butterflies whirled inside him like tornadoes. He wondered if perhaps if this was how Popuri used to feel when she visited him, all trembling and shaking and stilted breathing and nerves quaking, albeit for entirely different reasons.

He paused when he reached the door and the hand that was curled, raised and ready to knock froze; the screaming and yelling emanating from inside the poultry farm crippling him.

"She's not getting any better Popuri, how can you be so foolish not to see that?" Kai was able to recognize the yelling voice as Rick's immediately, having been on the receiving end of that explosive anger more times than he could count on both hands.

"And how can _you_ be so stubborn. If Mama wants to go to Beach Day today then she should go." The next voice that screeched – in a manner, Kai thought, which sounded like nails on a blackboard – was undoubtedly Popuri's.

"Children, please." Lillia's gentle voice rang out, quiet yet commanding, but the squabbling siblings ignored her.

"It's called looking after her best interests."

"Why don't you just leave like Dad then, if you're so interested in looking after Mama's best interests and not what she actually _wants._"

"I said _enough_; both of you. Rick, I'm going today so please make this a pleasant family outing. Popuri, don't talk about your father that way."

Silence. And then the front door was wrenched open revealing Popuri, the traces of the fight with Rick and leftover fury evident in the taut lines of her face.

"Popuri," Kai began, "Are you ok – "

Kai was cut off by Popuri stalking right past him, "What part of the 'I don't want to be with you' in my letter didn't you understand?" Desperate to make her listen, Kai reached out to grab her hand but as soon as his fingers snaked around her wrists she wrenched her arm away, as if Kai's touch seared her skin. "Just leave me alone Kai, _please._"

Ruby eyes met his, misty with unshed tears and Kai watched as she clamped her front teeth onto her lips, as if the sheer force of her bite could keep the inevitable crying away.

"Just leave me alone, okay?" She whispered shakily, turning her head away from his so that her pink hair slid in front of her face.

That was the moment when Kai knew, even without seeing the uneven way her shoulders were rising and falling, that she had started sobbing. That was also the moment when Kai turned on his heel and strode off, contemplating how that perhaps in another time, where the stars had aligned a little differently and he had offered Popuri the world, he would have been able to hold her, comfort her, _kiss _her in that instant.

The same voice from earlier vied for Kai's attention, drifting to the forefront of his memory and skirting around his mind, _"You should have stayed."_

Yes, yes he should have. Maybe if he had, things would be different. Maybe then, the sound of Popuri's sobs wouldn't sound so much like his heart breaking.

* * *

A/N: Let it be known I have way too much fun writing the Gray x Kai bromance.


	2. Chapter 2

_The Daylight_

**A/N: **So originally this was going to be part of Chapter 1 but it was getting too long so Chapter 2 takes place straight after the events previously. Thank you to xo-emma-xo and Charise for reviewing and double, triple thank you to FadingButterflyWings for reviewing _and_ signing onto to beta this story.

* * *

_Act 1 Summer._

Like so many other decisions in Kai's life, he wandered onto Claire's farm on a whim. It was not what he expected. He had expected – well, _okay_ – so the only thing he really knew about the farm was that it was run by a city girl turned farmer, but that had been enough to create the impression of a laidback slacker who was using the ranch as a way to kill time. From that, it hadn't been a stretch to picture what condition the farm would be in.

He had not expected tilled fields that paved way to a paddock filled with young livestock, nor the chicken pen in the corner that was filled with tweeting chicks.

"Enjoying the view?"

Kai spun around to meet the source of the unfamiliar voice – presumably Claire – and was obvious in his appraisal of the woman, inspecting every inch of her like he was sixteen years old. His gaze was drawn to the unusual shade of her eyes, almost mirage-like in the way they flickered between shades of blue. His eyes lingered on the curve of her hips before slowly traipsing down to inspect toned, tan legs. She smoothed out the back of her blonde hair, lips parted and eyebrows raised in what appeared to be curiosity.

"I am now." He winked. Remembering the reason he had come, he added, "I'm Kai, I come to Mineral Town in the summer and run the Snack Shack."

Claire ignored his introduction, her attention falling instead on the object tucked underneath his arm. "Is that coffee?"

"Oh yeah, I bought it for you as a little house warming gift. It's only three months late, but better late than never right?" Kai lied smoothly, placing the coffee in Claire's outstretched hands.

Claire inhaled deeply before taking a sip and smacking her lips together, visibly brightening as she did so. "I'm impressed Kai. The Inn only does the filtered stuff but this," She paused to bring the coffee back to her lips, "almost tastes like it was made with real coffee beans."

"That's the whole reason I bought them, you see. Just to impress you."

Amusement flashed in the depths of her eyes; colouring them a light, twinkling blue, "Would you like to come inside? I just started on breakfast and have a bit to spare."

Kai shrugged. "Lead the way."

It wasn't until Claire placed a plate of rice balls in front of Kai that he realized they had very different definitions of 'starting on breakfast'. For Kai, this meant switching on the oven or stove, grabbing out the recipe book and placing the correct ingredients on the bench in neat little piles. For Claire however, this entailed opening the fridge and grabbing a plastic covered packet of rice balls and a pair of scissors.

Kai gave his food a miserable look, thankful he had eaten earlier, "You know I'd be happy to make you breakfast at the Snack Shack sometime. I make pretty fantastic bacon and eggs."

"It's been awhile since I've had a cooked breakfast. The shock of it might give me a heart attack," Claire admitted between mouthfuls.

Flirtatiously: "Don't worry, I'd be happy to perform CPR if need be."

Claire placed a hand over her mouth to stifle the laughter building in the back of her throat. "That doesn't surprise me considering the things I've heard about you and…" She faltered for a second, placing a finger on a pink tinted lip in thought. "…your _reputation_. I mean, you must take a lot of girls' breaths away."

Kai was momentarily silenced. "It's a hard life being so irresistible, but someone has to do it." During the lapse in conversation, he had given up any pretense of eating the rice balls, opting instead to tear them up piece by piece until they resembled tiny clumps scattered across the china. "So how do you like Mineral Town?"

"I love it here. It's so constant compared to the city. I know exactly what to expect each day." She took a bite and then continued teasingly, "_Although_ there was an exception this morning when a strange man wandered onto the farm claiming to be a traveller."

Without missing a beat: "And here I was thinking it was a regular occurrence for you."

Claire stared at him in a way that looked awfully suggestive. "Maybe it might be now."

Kai returned her stare, and it took just a sweep of his eyes over her face- her pearly smile, her flushed cheeks- to come to the conclusion that there was no maybe about it.

* * *

Kai drew intricate, mindless patterns in the beach's sand while he waited for the townspeople to arrive at his festival. It was a sunny, windy day; the waves frothed over the shore like champagne bubbles, immersed in the yellow haze of sunlight.

Perhaps it was the many years of Popuri dragging her entire family to the festival early having turned into habit, or maybe it was Lillia's social graces driving her to be punctual. Kai wasn't sure, but for whatever reason the first to arrive to Beach Day were the residents of the Poultry Farm.

Kai couldn't help but watch Popuri as the family unpacked their things next to one of the two coveted umbrellas. At first glance (while she unrolled a beach towel) she looked the same as she always did; eyebrows raised just slightly, the creases in her face etched in delight, laughter spilling from her lips. Yet as he looked at her for a second time (she was standing up and adjusting the umbrella so their slightly-taller-than- average figures could stand comfortably under it) he noticed that her laughter didn't dance in the corners of her eyes, their usual blazing ferocity subdued to a dull red.

Ignoring Popuri's command from earlier, Kai headed over to them. After all – _screw it_ - this was _his _festival.

"Lillia, you're looking lovely this fine summer day." She wasn't. Purple-black bags weighed down her pale face and her pink hair looked more tangled, more grey than usual.

Lillia drew Kai into her arms briefly. As they pulled apart, he noticed her eyeing him with concern. "Kai, welcome back. Are you staying long?"

"Just for the summer as usual, I would hate to lose this amazing tan." There was a flicker of disappointment in her facial expression before she patted his shoulder gently and stood aside so he could greet the others.

Kai mustered up all the charm he could, tilting his head back in what he hoped looked like confidence. "Popuri, it's a pleasure as always."

Popuri froze before Kai's eyes. The awkwardness was palpable. Seconds ticked by, one after the other. Kai inhaled and then exhaled. From the corner of his eye he saw Lillia nudge Popuri's arm lightly. Like a flint igniting a match, Lillia's touch seemed to spark a response from her daughter.

Finally, _finally_ she replied_,_"It's nice to see you."

Rick snorted incredulously. "Yeah, right."

"Rick, I know you love your chickens and that's cool. A man with a passion is something I respect, _but_…" The lethal glint in Kai's eyes sliced through Rick's smug expression. "There's no time when it's respectable to sound like one. You hear me, _bro_?"

It was a tribute to the power of Lillia's motherly influence that when she muttered an ashamed _we're going to go say hello to Mayor Thomas _Rick actually followed her, admittedly with a reluctance that suggested he was being dragged by an invisible leash.

* * *

"I take it you haven't sorted things out with Popuri yet?"

Gray stood in front of Kai, his shadow casting a dark, gloomy patch on Kai's workbench. Kai had been preparing the pasta for later, kneading and rolling the dough into firm spheres, and hadn't noticed his friend's arrival amongst the colourful array of townspeople filtering in.

He looked up. "What makes you say that?"

"Well if you _had_ she'd be here right now, wouldn't she?"

Kai wiped the floury residue off his hands and onto his trousers. Kai was grateful for Gray's friendship – _he was_– but occasionally, very occasionally, his blunt and annoyingly perceptive nature grated on Kai's nerves. "We really need to work on this greeting thing. Repeat after me, _slowly,_ 'Hi Kai, how's it going?'"

Gray rolled his eyes. "Fine, if you don't want to talk about _that _P word, how about this one: pussy."

Kai's fingers drifted to the back of his neck, fingers tugging on the fraying ends of his bandanna. "Honestly? I think perfect suits me much better."

"Nope, definitely pussy." Gray crossed his muscular arms and rested them on the counter Kai was standing behind.

Kai shook his head. "Perfect."

"Pussy."

Kai put a swift halt to their pointless argument. "You know what, for the record I did talk to Popuri. _Twice…_"

Gray whistled when Kai finished recounting his morning drama, but before he could reply a voice called out to him.

"Gray!" Both men turned their heads simultaneously towards the source. As they did so, Kai was greeted with a flurry of blonde hair and tan skin rushing towards them. Claire.

"You didn't wait for me!" she accused playfully, gently punching the blacksmith's arm. A closer (shameless) inspection allowed Kai to see the galaxy of freckles on her shoulders and taut lines of her stomach. With a melodramatic twang to her voice, Claire continued, "It was such a lonely walk, I practically went insane. I swear I even heard voices."

"How do you know I'm not a hallucination?" Gray asked.

"Would a hallucination ask if they were real or not?" Claire countered before jutting her bottom lip out in a pout. "Now are you going to apologize for standing me up or do I have to get it out of you through force?"

Kai watched the scene in front of him in bemusement; the way Gray leant forward towards the farmer so that their shadows intertwined on the beaches sand, the way their blue eyes collided in a furious stare off_. _Gray was comfortable around this woman, maybe even friends with her, Kai realized with surprise. What else could explain the rare sight of Gray joking around with someone who _wasn't_ him?

"Considering how intimidating all that muscle you have is, I guess I'll apologize." Gray's tongue was teeming with sarcasm as usual.

Finally acknowledging Kai's presence, Claire turned to face him. "Hey again stranger."

Gray turned to face Kai sharply at the word _again, _but Kai ignored him, "Hey yourself. You look great; I don't think there's ever been a better example of the phrase 'less is more'".

It was true. Claire's bikini was a sight to behold: black, skimpy, and for a place like Mineral Town, borderline inappropriate.

She flushed. "Between you and me, I wasn't expecting it to be so conservative around here." She flicked her head briefly towards Mary and Ann, both sporting modest one pieces and standing on the cusp of the shore, their feet getting immersed in water each time a wave rolled in. "I guess you can take the girl away from the city, but you can never take the city away from the girl."

"Well I speak on behalf of all the males here when I say we don't mind. At all." Kai reassured before turning to Gray and nudging him, "Isn't that right?"

"Uh yeah. It looks good, I mean, you look good," Gray replied lamely, glaring knives at Kai.

She beamed at him, teeth glinting oh so slightly under the sun's rays. "With the Kai and Gray tick of approval I have nothing to worry about. Not even Manna's gossip!" Out of nowhere something in the distance caught Claire's attention. "I think I just saw Karen, excuse me for a 'sec guys."

She shimmied out of her position between the two men and then added, "Don't ditch me this time, okay Gray? Otherwise you might have to check me into a mental asylum."

Kai watched her skip off, hips shaking as she did. "Sure sounds like she's _crazy _about you." The casual, joking manner in which Kai delivered his words masked a deeper curiosity, the subtext of his sentence echoing a desire for Gray to elaborate on the nature of his and the farmer's closeness.

Gray prodded a nearby clump of seaweed with his foot. "It's not like _that._ She doesn't have many friends here. She gets along with everyone okay and the townspeople respect what she's done for the farm but she's… ," He trailed off uncertainly, seemingly unable to find a word to describe the enigmatic woman. "Well as Karen once said, she's _Claire._"

Kai frowned. "I see."

He tilted his head slightly to the side so he could watch the farmer from a distance. She _did _look out of place with her too-revealing-bikini, as if she'd been invited to a costume party but had been the only one to dress up. Kai also couldn't help but notice the three meter bubble around her and Karen that was void of any townsfolk. It was because she was different, Kai reasoned, with her overly confident and vivacious nature. If the town was a gentle breeze then Kai got the impression Claire was a tornado and perhaps, _perhaps _they weren't quite prepared for that.

* * *

Kai was surprised to see Claire among the other contestants for the swimming contest. She stood out again – painfully so. This time it was due to the stark contrast between her curvaceous figure and long, lithe legs and that of the bodies of her male competition.

Kai walked over to her. "You're just full of surprises aren't you?" he observed archly, enjoying how pretty the view of the wind caressing her blonde hair was, all tumbling golden ripples as it trailed behind her.

"A woman entering a swimming contest _is _breaking news. Quickly, call the press and news crew." Claire's words weren't delivered with the sarcasm one would expect, rather a dramatic lightness. All of a sudden she began miming, delivering her reply into a fake microphone she had conjured out of thin air. "_No._ My name is spelt with an 'I', C-L-A-I-RE."

"It is unusual around here." Kai answered seriously, thrusting his thumb towards the array of woman sitting on the beach. Claire jutted her lip out thoughtfully, as if the thought had never even crossed her mind.

Abruptly, she leaned over and whispered, "I was raised by dolphins; it goes against my nature not to swim." Claire giggled and the sensation of it, warm and breathy against his ear, gave Kai shivers.

"That sounds _fishy _to me, but I guess we'll have to wait and see."

Claire's exposed skin scraped electrifyingly against Kai's shoulder as she pulled away from him and the thrill her touch had caused, jolting through his veins and bloodstream, alarmed him. Claire was attractive – very much so – but so were a lot of the other woman in Mineral Town. So why exactly had that miniscule touch sent his heart on overdrive then?

Kai shook his head, banishing the line of thought away – the one telling him that he knew _exactly _why his heart was hammering - before it could properly begin.

* * *

The water was everything Kai remembered and more: perfectly clear, perfectly salty, perfectly refreshing.

This was what Kai thought as he swam, limbs darting in and out of the ocean, his whole body fighting against the current.

* * *

The race had ended and Kai tucked his dripping hair underneath the bandanna once more. Trying to tie it on however proved to be more difficult, as the loose ends kept flapping in the breeze. By the time he succeeded, Claire's body had emerged from the water.

"Third place, that's not bad at all." Kai had naturally come first, followed closely by the Doctor. Despite this, with the agile way Claire swam she had almost backed up her outrageous statement from earlier about having dolphin heritage.

"You're right, it isn't." Claire agreed as she brushed loose water droplets off her arms. "To be honest, I sort of just swam in the race on a whim so it's a massive relief I didn't make a fool out of myself."

"I think that's the most serious thing I've ever heard you say," Kai said honestly.

"Is it? I would have gone with what I said about my dolphin parents, personally."

During their conversation, Karen and Gray had wandered over. Karen pushed her sunglasses higher up on her nose before congratulating the pair of them, to which Kai brushed off with a cheeky _what's new_.

"Nice swimming Claire, _even _Saibara was impressed," Gray complimented her, shyness clinging to the edge of his voice.

"Really?" Claire asked in delight. Gray nodded.

With one hand perched on her hip, Karen turned to Kai. "So slacker, are you cooking for us or what? I'm ten seconds away from foraging for some wild bamboo."

"No, he's going to let you cook." Gray muttered sarcastically under his breath.

Kai ignored Gray. "Yeah yeah, I'll get onto that now I've celebrated my victory."

"Damn! I was looking forward to watching Karen forage," Claire chimed in.

"Next year." Kai promised with a smirk.

Yet as the four of them wandered towards the Snack Shack, clutching their sides in laughter as they – Gray, Kai, and Karen - reminisced about past Beach Days and that one time Duke slipped fully clothed off the pier and into the water, Kai was only thinking about the present, the _now…_(And, admittedly, how lucky he was that Mineral Town was filled with so many attractive women in such minimal clothing.)

* * *

Thoughts of pink hair and sad smiles and ruby eyes haunted his thoughts as Kai laid in bed that night, making sleep next to impossible. How had he let things with Popuri spiral out of control? Her anger, his regret, the awkwardness between them – why did he get on that boat last summer and allow things to become like this?

Cursing, he peered over at the recipe book on his bedside before hoisting himself up, clasping the book and skimming through its pages until he found one he hadn't memorized. It was going to be a late one, Kai resigned. At least if anyone decided to visit the Snack Shack tomorrow he would be able to impress them with something new.

He was halfway through rereading the final step for the seventh time (place in the oven for thirty minutes or until browned) when he was interrupted by frantic knocking. The bed creaked as got up to open the door, revealing the woman responsible for his sleeplessness and bad mood.

"Good, you're here. I wanted to apologize and we _do_need to talk. I just…this morning, _seeing you_, I just wasn't expecting it to hurt so much!" Popuri took a single step into the room. "And you just came out of nowhere!" She had taken a second step now. "I feel so horrible, _I do._ It felt so silly not seeing you yesterday because I always see you on the first day of summer!" A third step and she was in line with his bed now. "Kai, I'm so sorry!"

From the doorway Kai watched as the woman crumbled, her bottom lip wobbling and unshed tears flashing like neon lights in her eyes. Her knees began to buckle and Kai rushed over to embrace her.

"Oh Poppy," he murmured into her strawberry scented hair before kissing it lightly, _platonically._

"Don't get me wrong. I mean you and I are over, our summers are over. I just needed to see you." She was quivering in his arms and Kai waited for reassuring words to come to him, he waited for whispers of comfort to spill from lips. But none came. So he simply tightened his embrace.

"Everything's changing." She was well and truly sobbing but managed to choke out, "I can't keep up! You and I are over, Karen and Rick keep acting like everything is okay but I can hear them arguing non-stop at night, and Mama…" Strangled cries replaced words and Popuri was unable to continue.

Not that she needed to, Kai thought. Her distress said more than words ever could.

"She's getting worse, isn't she?" Popuri nodded against his now tear stained chest. "And Rod… have you heard from him?" She shook her head this time. "God Poppy, you should have told me about Lillia."

She pushed him away, her expression thunderous. "_You weren't here!"_Her voice was rapidly increasing in octaves, becoming shriller and shriller with each syllable. Popuri got angry the way she was - unpredictable, _explosive._

Kai scowled. "You couldn't find the time to mention it in one of the twenty or so letters you sent me?"

They stared at each other, Kai's gaze cool and calm despite the fact that he was terrified by the fire in Popuri's eyes. "And what would you have done?! Come home? Come rushing back to me like some prince? Don't kid yourself Kai."

Kai took five very slow, very deep breaths before replying. "So you thought it was better to just lie to me. To pretend everything was okay? 'Dear Kai, everything's great here'. What a load of shit Popuri, I deserved the chance!"

Popuri backed away, outraged. "You deserved the chance? Every summer you had the chance to stay, to _truly _be with me but you left every single time. For what though? So you wouldn't get _cold._"

Kai raised an incredulous eyebrow. "You knew what you were getting into when you agreed to be with me."

"And now I'm getting _out _of here."

Popuri whirled around, a furious tornado of flying pink hair and once again, just like outside the Poultry Farm earlier, Kai grabbed her wrist. This time however, she didn't pull away.

"Before we were together, we were friends, we _are _friends. So next time something happens, you come to me. Okay?"

Kai was not blind to the distance that existed between the two of them. Yes, their hands may have been laced together but the distance ran far deeper than that, stretching out like an abyss that isolated the pair from one another.

"It is okay, isn't it?" She whispered, sounding unsure of herself. Her back was turned still, so her words were spoken into the air, "it's okay for us to love each other differently, right?"

"We've been through too much together for it not to be."

Kai let go of her wrist, his heart deserting him as he did so. The night rushed between them, the air colder than it was before.

* * *

A/N: Hope you enjoyed Chapter 2!


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